The Monsal Trail

Anyone who has been on the Monsal Trail in the past will know how frustrating it was withe all the interruptions of the tunnels.

Well now its different, all of the tunnels are open and the trail is 8.5 miles from the car park at Wye Dale to Bakewell.

When you come out of Buxton on the Bakewell road the road bend and turns under 4 viaducts for just short of 3 miles. There you will see a sign for the car park on the river side.

Park here and go through the gate at the end of the car park signed for Wye Dale down to the Blackwell Mill Cycle Hire and Lazy Days Tuck Shop. The actual shop hasn't been there that long and the cafe part is still a bit basic on the food side, but makes up for that with friendly and fast service, and if you use this as the middle of your walk or ride the tea is most welcome, all in all highly recommended, and if I were them I would start doing food soon. 

Blackwell Mill Cycle Hire

Take the track at the back of the cafe onto the trail. Turn left, and then just enjoy.

You Can walk all the way to Bakewell as I did, but that does make a 17 mile round trip. The nice thing about thjis trail though is that you can do as little or as much as you like. the is a cafe at Cressbrook, which incidentally must be feeling the pinch as the actual trail now bypasses it.



Looking through the second tunnel to the third

The jewel in the crown is obviously Monsal Viaduct and now you pass straight in to the newly opened tunnel instead of (as anyone who has done this will know) having to climb up to Monsal Head. There is another cafe halfway between here and Bakewell which is very good and can be used as a turning place if you are getting a bit tired. Then there is Bakewell, an ideal place to come down off the trail and enjoy a wide variety of cafes and chip shops to stock up for the return.

If you are cycling then you are stuck to the trail, but if you are walking then on the way back,  just after Millersdale Station you come to a viaduct, just before on the right take the steps into the Dale itself. An absolutely stunning footpath walk starts along the river. Carry on to Chee Dale, which incidentally is obviously, by the number of them, ideal for climbing. The scenery down here is breathtaking, and doesn't abate all the way back to the cycle hire shop which is finally reached over a short footbridge.

 

Stepping Stones in Millersdale

 This short blog doesn't do justice to the trail and if you have been here before the tunnels were opened, or is this new to you then is a must.

One last thing we are planning to use this as the centre section of a bike ride that will start at Parsley Hey on the Ashbourne road, riding over to the trail via the pennine bridleway down to bakewell, and then back on road to Parsley Hey. All in, about 40 miles, which makes for a good day out.

Walkers in the tunnel